Service ribbon bar



Max-c115, 1946. c., s. COLILTER ET AL. 2,396,150

- SERVICE RIBBON BAR Filed April 24, 1944v 6Zarles QdEer oazezze fianzzze;

Patented Mar. 5, 1 946 1:;

um reofsrAr SERVICE msesnm;

Charles S. Coulter and Colette rim'iiieti Washington, D 0.; said Colette Romanet,,now by marriage Colette "Romanet Coulter Application Agrilfzi, 1944, sedative. 532,488

1 Claim. c1.4 0' 1.

' Our invention relates to means for displaying duplications of war ribbons or the like, and may be described-as a more convenient, durable and inexpensive substitute for the various ribbon carriers known to the art. It is well known that narrow ribbons of the same design as the ribbons from which the medals depend which are awarded as decorations and campaign badges are .com-' monly worn instead of the decorations and badges themselves. Such ribbons are inconvenient in same respects, e. g., they must be sewed on a backing or applied in some similar manner thereto; they become worn or discolored or faded with use; as ordinarily utilized they are rather large in area and so become unduly conspicuous for wear under certain conditions, particularly in case the wearer is entitled to the use of numerous decorations or campaign badges; arrangement in order of seniority from the military or naval viewpoint becomes increasingly diflicult with in-' crease in number; etc.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide display means for showing appropriate simulations or reproductions of war ribbons and r the like, in such form as to avoidthe difliculties above suggested and others not mentioned.

An important object of the invention is to provide means of the character indicated, whereby numerous insignia may be worn in very minute form, yet so as to be sufiiciently conspicuous to the ordinary observer. Thus, a series of three or four or more insignia may be mounted on a holder and worn in the buttonhole of a coat, but without being either inconvenient or awkward to the -wearer. r n v e Another object is to provide means of the character indicated which can be worn as a brooch for the use of ladies. 7

Another object is to provide a unitary holder upon which a suitable number of insignia may be mounted in proper order, readily and without undue inconvenience, and on which they will be held securely but removably.

Another object of the, invention is to provide block-like or plate-like means for representation,

of military and naval insignia and the like, such means being of rigid and durable character and being suitable for mounting on holders of any convenient nature such as the'bars herein illus-' trated, or on a ring or other jewelry.

- Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear upon consideration of the following specification and the annexed drawing, which are made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts.

Referring to thedrawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of one form of our new device, 7

Fig. 2, a dispersed view of same,

Fig. 3, an end elevation of the same,

Fig. 4, a dispersed View of another. invention, n v

Fig. 5, a longitudinal vertical section of the same,

Fig. 6, a vertical cross section of the same,

Fig. 7, an elevation of a brooch embodying the invention, and

Fig. 8, a plan of a miniature form of the invention.

the parts of the Inlthe drawing, reference character I 0 indicates the neck of a holder such as may be used in the practice of our invention, said neck having at its upper end a bar l l and at its lower or other end a button l2 which can be inserted through a buttonhole for retaining the device on-a coat or other like garment. I The button may be secured to the neck rigidly as shown, or it may be hinged thereto or otherwise attached. As indicated in this form of the invention, the bar mum and is longer than its width.

Plate-like insignia are adapted to be mounted on the bar ll, two such insignia being shown at l3 and I4. These insignia consist of thin plates of metal or plastic or other suitable material which is adapted to bearv on its outer or upper face colored stripes arranged as in some particular war ribbon or the like. Thus plate l3 indicates the Purple Heart, while, plate I4 indicates the Silver Star, and it, will be seen that they are arranged on the bar in. the order of seniority, the plates being bent under at opposite sides so as to extend under the bar at their edges along opposite sides and so to grip the bar frictionally with sufiicient tension to hold them in place ,onthe bar. Should the wearer desire other and more positive means for securing the plates in place, such means as hereinafter described may be added, or cement may be used or any other suitable or preferred means may be applied. It wil1 be form of the In thetorm of the. invention disclosed. inv Figs.

4 to 6 the stud l and. the button IB'may be as. in the form first described, or any other suitable substitutes may be utilized. The stud or neck in both forms may however be flattened and widened as shown best in Fig. 5 to prevent'acci dental rotation of the device. when placed. a.

buttonhole.

In this form of the invention the bar. H formed as a slotted or grooved holder into which a block-like or plate-like insignia member may be inserted by an endwise sliding action. The bar therefore has two upwardly or forwardly extending parallel side flanges 1'8; I8, which are here shown as recurved at the-upper ends: to provide opposed extensions 19 adapted to enter grooves:

in opposite faces of an insert 20', as at: 2 With the form shown it will be evident that the bar is also entirely concealedby the insert which forms the cap or cover for insignia to be supported. But the extensions may be omitted and the insert may be merely pinched between side flanges.

Here, as in all forms of the device, it 'is-..contemplated that the "bar shall be in various lengths, so as to be capable of holding various numbers of insignia on various bars, and preferably "to hold them interchangeably, so that one can transfer insignia from one to another. 'Itwill be understood, of course, that theinsigniawillibe made up individually torepresent' the'vari-ous decora-- tions and campaign badges or the like that are used in the armed forces of the United States, and that suitable segments for foreign decorations may be provided for the use of those authorized to Wear them. It is also contemplated that-the device may be used for holding such segments when made up to indicate other designs than those used by the armed forces, particularly when one, per son is authorized 'to wear more than one. such insignia, as of lodges or thel-ike.

In making up 'a device for wear the severalsegments Will be arrangedin the order-of precedence.

Thus in the Army the order is: Congressional Medal of Honor; Distinguished Service Cross; Distinguished Service Medal; Silver'Star', Legion of Merit; Purple Heartf followed by campaign: badges in order of receipt, by wars or sectors. Other services 'havetheir :ow-n insignia and ord-ers of precedence, and many foreign decorations are authorized to be worn by men in various armed services of the UnitedfiStates.

In Fig. 7 there is indicated a brooch for ladies wear, said brooch embodying the features of our invention. This brooch includes a bar (not shown) which may be as in either Fig. 2 or Fig. 4 Or otherwise constructed. The bar carries detachable units 22 like those of Figs. 1 and 2, but which units may equally well be like those of Figs. 4 to 6. The bar is made in various lengths to provide for the. wear of one. or more insignia. A conventional pin 23 is pivoted to a lug .on the bar at 24, and the pin is held at its free end by means of a hook 25, but other means may be substituted for these conventional parts.

In Fig. 8 there is shown in the size actually preeferred by us. for wear in a buttonhole a miniature iorm of the. invention, the overall size being about three sixteenths inch wide and three fourths inch long, and the length being of course varied to suit the number of segments to be worn on the device.

Instead of relying on the friction of the parts, or on such clamping efiects as may be had by the gripping action of the recurved edges of the plates 14 engaging the edges of the bar N, we-

may use with any form of the device such bendable projections as are shown at 20" in Figs. 4 and 5.. These projectionsor tabs are preferably made integral with the metal of the bar H or other backing member and. are intended to be bent up against or over the adjacent end of the insignia carried by the bar, and will thus serve to hold them firmly and securely in place, but may be bent down to permit removal or interchange of insignia, if made of appropriate. material.

It will be obvious tosthose skilled in the art that many changes may be made in the details of our invention, as in materials, shape of parts, methods of attachment, etc., all without departing from the spirit of the invention; and therefore w do not limit ourselves to What is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claimis: 1

Means for displaying duplications of war ribbons or like decorations, comprising a supportingbar with inturned flanges at opposite sidesmeansat the bac'k'oi the bar for securing it to a garment-or'the like, one or more separate'rigid units provided with permanent stripes extending crosswise thereof and imitating those of a military ribbon in color and relative width, said units having grooves at opposite sides for engagement by the flanges on the supporting bar and having lateral flanges extending over the edges of the supporting bar to conceal the same, and" each unit being removably attached to the bar by sliding the unit endwise of the bar to cause the flanges on the. bar to engagein the grooves of the .unit. CHARLES ;S. COULTER. COLETTE ROMANET. 

